Psychedelic music always runs the risk of drifting off into the atmosphere. If they're not buckled down tightly enough, song parameters will blow away, leaving nothing but wispy bits of feedback and drones in their wake. And, well, that's just noise. The Warlocks, a psychedelic band from Los Angeles, succeed when they keep things song-oriented. "Red Camera," which sounds like the Velvet Underground. It includes a continuous guitar pattern that burrows into your brain, while a drum beat building toward nothing fills the background with a slow-paced heartbeat. Organ tones and feedback rip into the song like wild squalls the weatherman forgot to mention. "Standing Between the Lovers of Hell" blends Brian Jonestown Massacre guitars and Thom Yorke chortling that spirals into a layered crescendo of dark bliss. Unfortunately, much of The Mirror Explodes can't live up to these two jams; instead, it's steeped in repetitive and emotionless guitar strumming and stuck-at-the-start song structures that sound like they're not very much fun to play.
— Matt Whelihan
